The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Modern lacrosse sticks, also known as crosses, include a plastic molded head which is attached to a metal shaft. Some components of the head include a neck, nylon or leather strings to form a pocket, and sidewalls in which the strings are attached. Lacrosse league rules have established dimensional requirements for crosses and are governed by organizations such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for collegiate players or the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) for international players. For example, in men's lacrosse, the NCAA requires the distance between the sidewalls of the head to be at least 3 inches at the narrowest point and at least 6 inches at the widest point. In women's lacrosse, the NCAA requires the distance between the sidewalls of the head to be at least 3 inches at the narrowest point and at least 7 inches at the widest point.
However, the distance between the sidewalls may narrow, such as for example during face-off from pushing the lacrosse stick against the ground. The pressure compresses the lacrosse head and may cause the dimensions to be non-compliant with the league rules. Random inspections are performed to ensure compliance with the dimensional requirements and a player may be disqualified if those requirements are not met. Therefore, it is important to keep the head at the proper width in order to avoid disqualification.
These issues associated with non-conformity of lacrosse equipment relative to specific lacrosse league rules, among other issues with lacrosse equipment, are addressed by the present disclosure.